Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADBR— P - 11 Freemasonry Abroad ... ... ... •••••¦6 C S Art and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... » - - 6 ® 5 Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire ... ••••••G | 56 MASONIC NOTESReport of the Council of Great Priory ... ... ... ... Gfr-Recent Annual Meetings of the Provincial Grand Mark Lodges of Surrey

and Berks and Oxon ... ... ... ... , ¦•¦ 069 Half-Yearly Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire GGg Proceedings at the Regular Communication of the District Grand Lodge of South Africa ( Eastern Division ) ... ... ... G 6 g Proceedings at the Regular Convocation of the District Grand Chapter of South Africa ( Eastern Division ) ... ' ... ... GGg Next Regular Meeting of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 207 G ... GGg Reviews ... ... .. 7 ... ... ••••••G 70

POETRYA Sister ' s Sacrifice ... ... ... ... ... ... G 70 A Distinction with a Difference ... ... ... ... ... G 70 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... G 70 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... - ... < 7 ' Secret Monitor ... ... ... ... ¦••... G 71 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... G 72 Annual Supper of the Clapton Lodge of Instruction , No . 13 G 5 ... ... G 72 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 67 G

Freemasonry Abroad.

FREEMASONRY ABROAD .

Freemasonry on the Continent ; of Europe has never assumed the proportions which pertain to it in the United Kingdom or the United States of North America . There are many States in which it does not enjoy that freedom to exercise

its rights and privileges which seems naturally to belong to British and American Masonry , while in others , in which its proceedings are unmolested by thc authorities , cither civil or ccclesiastic . il , it appears to have lost sight

entirely of the essential principles of thc Craft and to have allowed itself to become the home of disaffection against religion and constituted authority . In Germany , Sweden , Denmark , and thc other European countries wilh whose Grand

Lodges or Orients our United Grand Lodge and the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland are on terms of amity , the Order has well maintained its position and prestige , while the benelits it confers are recognised in all directions . The three

Grand Lodges in Berlin—that of the Three Globes , thc National Grand Lodge , and the Grand Lodge Royal York of Friendship —enjoy thc advantage of having a member of the Royal house

of Prussia in the person of Prince FREDERICK LEOPOLD to preside over them as Protector . The three together muster upwards of 30 , 000 subscribing members and maintain amongst them fully Goo benevolent institutions of different kinds . There are live

other Grand Lodges 111 Germany , the Grand Lodge zur Eintracht at Darmstadt , wilh the ( irand Duke for its Protector ; lhat of the Eclectic Union af Frankforl-on-lhe-Main ; that of Saxony al Dresden ; the Grand Lodge zur Sonne at Bavreuth ; and the

Grand Lodge of Hamburg . The Crown Prince of Denmark is Grand Master of lhe Grand National Lodge of Denmark , while his Majesty King OsCAR i . s head of the Grand Lodges of Sweden aud Norway , and I hose , as well as the Grand Lodges in

Lenin , though restricted in numbers , have been continuing during the present year the good work which has been carried on under their auspices in the past . There are also other Grand Lodges or Grand Orients in other European countries , as well

as in Africa and Central and South America , but to onlv one of them is it necessary for us to make reference , to wit—the Grand Lodge of Peru , which , we rejoice to say , has rescinded the obnoxious resolution banishing the Volume of the Sacred Law

from ils altars , and by thus returning to the fundamental principles of Masonry is once again recognised as a legitimate Masonic body . But , after all , the Freemasonry which most immediatel y concerns us , and in whose well-being we cannot do otherwise

Freemasonry Abroad.

than take an abiding interest , is that which has its home in the United States . It derives its existence from the Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom , and though in matters of internal organisation there are many points of difference between it and

the latter , the principles on which it rests are , and have been always , the same . Of its numerical strength , and the influence for good which it exercises there cannot be the slightest shadow of a doubt . The number of sovereign and independent Grand

Lodges is 50 , and though many of these are of recent formation , and of necessity , therefcre , arc somewhat limited in the matter of membeiship , there are others which date from last century—in some few cases from prior to 1 750 , when they

were Provincial Grand Lodges under our Constitution—and arc as strong in influence as they arc in numbers . Among these must be mentioned the Grand Lodge of New York , which ***** * ' dales from 1781 , and has under its banner 745 private lodges ,

with an aggregate membership of over yS , ooo . The Grand Lodge of Illinois , established in 18 39 , has upwards of 700 lodges and some 55 , 000 affiliated members . Pennsylvania , which with that of Massachusetts , claims precedence in the matter of date

over thc other American Grand Lodges , has upwards of 400 lodges on its roll , and a goodly array of more than 50 , 000 subscribing brethren , while its rival of Massachusetts has close on 250 lodges and some 40 , 000 members . The Grand Lodge of

Ohio was founded in the year 1809 , and can now boast of more than 500 lodges , with an aggregate of subscribing members which was returned on the 31 st August last as exceeding 44 , 000 . Several other ( irand Lodges might be mentioned

which are relatively , perhaps , as strong in tbe matter of membership , but those we have enumerated will serve to give our readers a pretty accurate idea of the marvellous development which the Order has made under

the Stars and Stripes . Nor is this amazing growth conlined to Craft Masonry , the Roya ! Arch and thc Templar Order being proportionately as strong , while the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and the Royal and Select Masters are both firmly

established . Moreover , very many of the Grand Lodges have in recent years founded Homes for the accommodation of old and indigent brethren and their widows or for educational purposes ,

among the most promising in this respect being ( hose formed b y the Grand Lodges of New York , Pennsylvania , Kentucky , aud Ohio . To attempt anything lil < e a record of the well nigh innumerable events ol interest which have occurred durinsr the last 12

months in the jurisdiction of these various Grand Lodges would be a very laborious task , bnt there is certainly onc event , which demands from us at least , a passing notice , namely , the celebration during the still current month of thi'centenary of the death

of Gi-ORGE WASHINGTON . The Grand Lodge of Virginia had , of course , the direction of the arrangements and under ils auspices was held a grand gathering of some 10 , 000 brethren , among whom were some of the leading notabilities of the Craft , while

among those to whom was assigned the task of delivering addresses appropriate to the occasion was none other than Bro . M'KlNLEY , the President of the United States . Nor must we omit to mention among the losses which American Freemasonry

has sustained during the year , that caused by the death of Uro . ENOCH T . CARSON , of Cincinnati , whose fame as a Masonic bibliographer has extended throughout the whole ofthe

English-speaking Fraternity . But , though he himself has passed away , his memory will remain as onc of the most distinguished Masons of the nineteenth century .